Oh, Baby! A Shower for Irene!

Yesterday, Lacy, Natasha, and I hosted a baby shower for Irene. The party was a wonderful chance to come together and celebrate Irene and her little one. I am so excited to meet Irene and Walmir's baby. He is going to be one loved and well-dressed little boy! Not to mention, quite the reader with all of the books he has already!

We enjoyed chocolate fondue, chicken sandwhiches, salad, and a five layer cake polka dot cake. Yum!!

All in all, it was great getting to do something nice for Irene. She threw two amazing showers for me last spring, and I am so glad I have the opportunity to do the same for her this year. She is an amazing friend, and, in no time at all, she is going to be an even more amazing mom.

Irene opening presents...

A group picture...

Cutest ever us!! And, seriously, Irene doesn't even look pregnant!

The bookmark favors I made for the shower. I wanted something fun and practical, and I was very happy with how these turned out.

Move over, Stacy and Clinton!

Well, don't move over that far...:) Even though today was a Friday, my new haircut inspired me to sass up my outfit a bit. I have never received so many compliments on my clothes in a day before! It was so exciting for me, especially since I did get a rather late start learning about style and fashion. I know I am not quite ready for the run-way, but at least I am comfortable now putting on an outfit, accessorizing, and feeling confident and good about my clothes when I walk out the door. Such a self-confidence boost, too.

Here are some pictures of my look. Let me know what you think!

Oh, and a big thank you to my fashion icons: Irene (who looks so adorable pregnant!), Claire (who works with color like its nobody's business, Alli (who lived in NYC for long enough to learn a few things, and of course, Stacy and Clinton (from TLC's What Not to Wear). And I almost forgot, my girls from One Tree Hill (Peyton, Brooke, and Hailey)!

Here's the outfit.

Not the most flattering picture, but it was the best I could do with the self-timer while Riley finished eating dinner.

The Perpetual Adolescent...

In one of my honors classes today, we had an amazing discussion based on an article I assigned by Joseph Epstein called "The Perpetual Adolescent." It was thrilling to see my ninth graders get so excited about the problems associated with not growing up, with seeking eternal youth, with ignoring responsibility. In today's world, I believe this article asks us all to consider our priorities, our values, and what we need to do to make our world a better place for our children and future generations.

Enjoy!

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/825grtdi.asp

Lovin' my new do!

Here's another couple of pictures of me with my new haircut.

A New Haircut!!

I thought it was time for a change, so today I went to get my hair cut. I had been planning on getting it done for a while, and I researched hair styles online and consulted my siblings and friends and students. So here you have it! I love it: it is fun, sassy, and light. Let me know what you think!

Spring Break in Oregon!

I was fortunate enough to spend a wonderful week away with my family at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, Oregon. The resort was beautiful and the surrounding area was even more stunning and exciting. Instead of launching into a crazy long blog post about my entire spring break trip to Oregon with Shawn, Riley, Allison, and CE, I am just going to post a ton of pictures and offer a top ten list. Enjoy!

Top Ten Reasons Why Oregon is the Hottest Spring Break Destination:

10. Taking a cool dip in a freezing cold mountain river.
9. Two words: Dairy Queen (three separate times!)
8. Five hikes in three days. We saw it all: rivers, mountains, buttes, and water falls. So cool.
7. Awesome recreation opportunities like raquetball, volleyball, and horseshoes at the resort.
6. One even better word: CABLE.
5. One other word to make that even better: fireplace.
4. Watching Riley learn how to climb steps and organize refrigerators.
3. Getting to read while sitting on a deck overlooking a river valley.
2. A bike-ride scavenger hunt with ice cream as the prize!
1. Getting to spend a week in a beautiful place with four people I love and adore!

Happy Birthday Party, Riley!

On Thursday night, a bunch of our friends from Gainesville came over to celebrate Riley's first birthday with a butterfly cake (thanks, Mark and Sandy!) and chocolate fondue. It was so much fun to hang out with good friends and share favorite memories from the past year.

For me, the coolest party was watching Riley dig into her cake. I had been imagining that moment since Riley was born, and I cannot believe we've already witnessed it. I am continually amazing at how much Riley has grown and developed this year - and, how much she has taught me about life, the small miracles, the daily joys, the simple pleasures. I am amazed at how much her presence has enhanced my relationship with Shawn and brought us closer together. Most importantly, I am amazed at love's capacity to expand and grow with Riley in my life. I see her smile or reach for me and I know that the world is a wonderful, wonderful place - even when it's not.

So Riley, thanks for a great first year! And a wonderful party!

To everyone who came - thanks for joining us for a great night and for being there for us this year. It is true - villages are needed to raise a child, and you all are part of our village.